Rope-cutter.



UNITED STATES Patented eoeinber 1, 1908.

PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS C. ROGERS, OF SISTERSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFTO CARTER OIL COMPANY,-OF SISTEBSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OFWEST VIRGINIA. 1

ROPE-CUTTER.

SPEGFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,523, dated December1, 1903'.

v Application dled September 23, 1903. Serial No. 174,266\ (No model.)

.To nel?,l whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. ROGERS, a residentof Sistersville,in thecounty of Tyler and State of West Virginia, have invented a 5 new anduseful Improvement in Rope-Cut'- ters; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to rope-cutters, and has special reference to sucha device as 1o would be used in connection with the drilling of Artesianwells where a wire rope is used in such drilling.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple,and edectiverope-cutter which x 5 will insure the placing of a portion of the wireor other rope insuch a position that it will be out or severed in arapid and easy manner and at the same time permit the device to beeasily and quickly connected zo around and Withdrawn from the rope.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement,construction, and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specicallyset forth and described, and par- 2 5 ticularly pointed out in theclaims. Y

T0 enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains toconstruct and use Y my improved rope-cutter, I will describe the samemore fully, referring to the accompany- 5o ing drawings, inrwhich-Figure 1 is a sectional view of an Artesian well, showing the wire ropethereon and my improved cutter around the same. Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical section of the cutter in 35 position for operating upon therope. Fig. 3

is a top view of the cutter. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the same on theline 4 4, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an inverted cross-section on the line 44, Fig. 2, showing a face or bottom view of 4o the knife employed.

Like letters or symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in eachof the figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, A represents 45 the well, and withinwhich is the wire rope 1, which passes through the opening 2in therope-socket 3, and such socket is connected at its lower end to thedrilling bit or tool. (Not shown.) The upper face 4 of the rope-socket5o 3 is provided with the curved recess 5 within the same around theopening 2 therein, and extending around the upper end 6 of the socket 3is the head 7, which is provided with the hollow portion or chamber 8therein, having its bottom 9 outwardly daring through 55 the side wall10 and at the lower end 9' of said head, as at 11. At one side of head 7is the slot 11, which extends the full length ofthe said head andthrough the side wall 10 thereof for the passage of the wire rope 1through 6e the same from the' rope-socket 3, and such rope being heidwithin said slot 11 by means of the clamp 12, which ie secured upon theupper end face 13 of said head 7, over and around the said slot, by thebolts 13 and is pro- 6 5 vided with the curved seat 14 therein, iittingaround said rope l. The upper end of said head 7 is provided with theinwardly-projecting portion or flange 15 above the chamber S, throughwhich extends and is secured there- 7o in by its screw-threads 16 thecutter-bar 16, which is provided with the-outwardlyextending flange 1Gthereon for resting against the flange 15, and below which isrthe knifeor cutting face 17. This cutting face 17 is of l75 circular shape and isformed of the angular or inclined inner and outer faces 18 18',respectively, which terminate in the apex or point to form the cuttingface 17, and extending into the cutter-bar 16 from the inclined 8o innerface 18 is thecurved hollow portion 20.

A tool member 21 is connected at its lower end 23 to the screw-threads16 on the cutterbar 16, extending through the head 7, and

such member 21 can be more firmly secured 85 and held in place by meansof the pin 23 passing through the end 23 and bar 16. The member 2l isconnected by the upper end 22 thereof to another tool member 24, and, ifdesired, other members can be connected in like 9o manner above themember 24.

The use and operation of myim proved ropecutter are as follows: When itis desired to sever or cut the wire rope 1 within the well A for anypurpose, the clamp 12 is opened by 95 removing one of the bolts'13 andthe rope 1, placed within the slot 11 of the head 7, after which theclamp 12 can be replaced upon said head by screwing down said bolt,which will hold the rope in place in the seat 14 of said roo clamp, sothat it will pass through the same and through the slot 11 and chamber 8of said head. After this is accomplished the tool member 2l can beconnected to the screwthreads 16 on the cutter-bar 16 and the member 24connected to the end 22 of said member 21 by its socket 24, after whichthe head 7, with the cutter-bar 16 therein and tool members attachedthereto, can be dropped into the well A and lowered therein along thewire rope 1. The momentum acquired by the lowering and dropping of thehead 7, bar 16, and members connected thereto, as well as the Weight ofthe same, will cause the rope 1 to be curved or bent outwardlyfrom theropesocket 3 as such head approaches in close proximity to said socket3, and when the lower. end 9 of said head comes adjacent to the upperend 6 of said socket the flared end 11 on said lower end 9 will be drawnover and around said socket 3 by coming in contact with the upper end 6thereof. As said head 7v thus drops and is drawn around the upper end 6of said rope-socket 3 said socket will be centered in the well. Theupper end thereof will pass into the chamber Sfof said head, which willcause the wire rope 1 to be bent t0 a sufficient angle, as at l', sothat the cutting edge 19von the cutting-face 17 of the bar 16 willengage the bent angular portion 1 of said rope 1 and cut or sever saidrope at this point during the further lowering or dropping of said head7. As the wire rope 1 is thus severed or cut the end of the said ropeabove the rope-socket 3 will be contained with the recess 5 on the topface 4 of said socket and the curved hollow portion 2O within thecutterbar 16, above the cu tting-face 17 thereof, during the continueddropping or lowering of said head 7, and further dropping of said headwill be prevented by the containing of end of said rope within therecess 5 and hollow portion 2O or by the cutting edge 19 coming incontact with 'the upper face 4 of the rope-socket 3. In case the rope 1is not cut or severed by the first dropping of the cutterbar 16 againstthe bent portion 1 of said rope the head 7 can be raised and droppedagain or repeatedly to accomplish the severing or cutting of the rope,and after said rope is severed the portion of the same within the-head 7and above the portion within the socket 3, together with said head,cutter-bar 16, and attached tool member, can be raised from Within thewell.

It will thus be seen that my improved ropecutter will bend the wire ropeused in Artesian wells for drilling purposes to an angular position, soas to enable the cutter-bar to sever the same when the tools are lostwithin the well and fishing is required or when other- Wise needed, andat the lowest possible point within the well, as well as at the closestpoint of the rope-socket.

The device is strong and durable and con` tains few parts to get out oforder, being so arranged as to enable the cutter-bar to be removedeasily and quickly for the insertion of a new one in case of injury orbreakage and for the sharpening of the same when desired.

It will be evident that my improved ropecutter can be used for thesevering of welldrilling ropes formed of other materials than wire asWell as being adapted for use in places other than Artesian wells, andthat various changes. in the construct-ion, design, and arrangement ofthe various parts of the same maybe resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, and means for bending said rope adjacent to said socket and forseveringthe same at such bent portion.

2. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a hollow head extending around said rope and adapted to bend thesame adjacent to said socket, and means Within said head for severingsaid rope at such bent portion.

3. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a hollow head having a slot at one side thereof for bending saidrope adjacent to said socket, and means within said head for severingsaid rope at such bent portion.

4. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a hollow IOO head having a'slot at one side thereof for bendingsaid rope adjacent to said socket, a clamp on said head having a recesstherein for holding said rope in place within the slot of said head, andmeans within said head for severing said rope at such bent portion.

5. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a head extending around said rope and adapted to bend the sameadjacent to said socket, said head having a chamber therein, and acutter-bar within said chamber for severing the rope at such bentportion.

6. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a head extending around said rope and adapted to bend the sameadjacent to said socket, said head having a chamber therein, and a baron said head having a circular cutting edge thereon and within saidchamber for severing said rope at such bent portion.

7. In a Arope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket forsaid rope, a head extending around said rope and adapted to bend thesame adjacent to said socket, said head having a chamber therein, and abar on said head having a circular cutting edge thereon and Within saidchamber for severing the rope at such bent portion, said bar having arecess therein above said cutting edge.

8. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the rope, of a socket for saidrope, a head eX- IIO tending around said rope and adapted to bend thesame adjacent to said socket, said head having a chamber thereinprovided with a flared end, and a cutter-bar for severing said rope atsuch bent portion.

9. In a rope-cutter, the combination with the ropelof a socket for saidrope, a head extending around said rope and adapted to bend the sameadjacent to said socket, said head having a chamber therein providedwith a flared end, and a bar on said head having a circular cutting edgethereon and Within said chamber for severing the rope at such bentportion. e

10. In a rope-cutter, the combination with

